Fishing reel with level wing

A fishing reel comprising a frame and, supported by the frame, a line spool which is rotatable in one direction for winding up a fishing line therein and is rotatable in the opposite direction by a pulling force acting on the fishing line, such as during casting;

• a line spreading mechanism which includes a cylindrical guiding sleeve angularly movably mounted in the frame and having a wall and a longitudinal guiding slot formed in the wall thereof, a line spreading member having an outer end portion formed to serve as a line guide, and an inner end portion formed to serve as a hub for slidingly supporting said member on said sleeve, a rotatable involute screw having an endless thread and mounted within said sleeve and defining therewith an annular space, and a screw follower having one end formed for and positioned in engagement with the endless thread of the involute screw for reciporcating said line spreading member along said sleeve;
• said fishing reel further comprising a driving mechanism including a manually operable crank and transmission means connected to said crank and to said involute screw and disconnectable clutching means and clutch actuating means for connecting said line spool to said transmission means and for connecting said line spreading member to said involute screw to permit the line spool to be rotated in said one direction for winding up the fishing line and to permit the line spreading member to be reciprocated simultaneously with the rotation of the line spool in said one direction for spreading the fishing line in a predetermined manner along the line spool, when said disconnectable clutching means are in engagement, and to permit free rotation of the line spool in said opposite direction and movement of the line spreading member out of engagement with the involute screw when said clutching means are disengaged;
• said line spreading mechanism for transmitting reciprocating movement from said screw follower to said line spreading member comprising an annular screw follower support which is mounted in said annular space in said sleeve in encompassing relationship with said involute screw and in sliding contact with the inner periphery of said sleeve, said support and said screw follower being reciprocable as a unit along the involute screw and being encapsulated in and shielded by said sleeve;
• driver dog supported by said annular support and comprising a biased dog pin, which extends through and is guided by said slot in said sleeve for guiding the annular support in the sleeve and which in operative position projects with an end portion out of said slot;
• said hub comprising engagement means for receiving said end portion of the dog pin in mutual engagement therewith for transmitting the reciprocating movement of the annular support and the screw follower to said line spreading member.